In blog post No. 2, it was noted that the water tank and fuel storage bin at the rear of the Russell Steamer were fabricated as part of the restoration process. As a finishing touch, the Russell & Company trademark, with its characteristic snorting bull and the words, The Boss, were painted on each bin. The images were signed by Roy Martinez.*

The company went through several name changes before it was ultimately dubbed Russell & Company in 1878. Likewise, the Russell & Company trademark went through several permutations. Roy Martinez’ version was based on an image on page 51 of the August 1915 issue of The American Thresherman and Farm Power.

Roy Martinez’ version is similar in many respects to the beautiful Russell & Company trademark displayed as a water tank decal on the National Russell Collectors Association website. The snorting bull and The Boss are recognizably similar. However, there are at least a half dozen (or more) differences between the two trademark images.

How many differences can you find? The person who identifies the greatest number of differences will win a prize from the Museum!**

The Russell & Company trademark, interpreted by Roy Martinez

The Russell & Company trademark, courtesy National Russell Collectors Association

*Who was Roy Martinez? If you know, please comment on this blog post. **Please note – differences in the pastoral background scene count as one difference.